TRIBUTE: George Carlin

You know sometimes how there are these iconic personalities that have been with you for as long as you can remember? Someone who for the length of your lucidity has always been there, doing their thing, and you think that they just have to live forever--they have been in your life like the stars have been in your sky. George Carlin was that personality for me. Yet even more notable is the fact that he was the first host of Saturday Night Live, and the show is exactly my age. It's like the two, for me, have been everything about comedy. And now one half is gone.

What I liked about George is that he was right up my alley: unafraid, unapologetic, unabashed, always pushing the limits of what he is told he can and cannot do, political, intelligent, energetic, prolific and sound. He was very expressive with his words but also with is face. He was almost angelic with his ability to go over to the edge, push you over, but bring you back with his brand of realism that made you forgive some of the things he said that may have been out of your limit of taste. Once he got on a roll, he wouldn't stop...I liked his motormouth....

I cannot say that he was one of my top favorite comedians, but I can say that I respected him immensely and I do know that he had inspired generations of comedians with his brand of humor. I can honestly say that Dennis Miller or Bill Maher have almost certainly taken much from George. Lewis Black has a lot of George in him. And I would argue that Bobby Slaton has some of George's spirit in him. And not just that kind of humor has George inspired, but across all genre's of comedy has he inspired some of my favorite comedians. Although George was not one of my favorites does not mean he wasn't on my list. And I will miss him tremendously.

Heaven is not going to be the same......